Winfield played 14 seasons with the Bills and Vikings, who could him in March. / Elaine Thompson, AP

by Tom Pelissero, USA TODAY Sports

by Tom Pelissero, USA TODAY Sports

Facing the prospect of being out of work for the second time in six months, veteran cornerback Antoine Winfield informed the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday he intends to retire.

"Wishing Antoine Winfield the best in his decision to retire," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll posted on Twitter. "He's a consummate pro and a great team player. We were lucky to have him!"

The expectation was the 36-year-old Winfield would have been released. The Seahawks gave him $1 million guaranteed on a one-year deal in hopes of bringing toughness to the nickel position, but they had younger options for depth in Walter Thurmond, Byron Maxwell and Jeremy Lane.

Winfield played 14 seasons with the Buffalo Bills and Minnesota Vikings, who cut him in March, just hours before free agency opened. The Vikings subsequently tried to re-sign Winfield, but he turned down their fully guaranteed contract offer in April to go to Seattle.

"It's all about winning," Winfield, a three-time Pro Bowler, told USA TODAY Sports last month. "I want to win a championship. We got a lot of talent out here."